Surat: Five officials of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) have been suspended over the 'mysterious' demolition of about 80 shanties in Nasirnagar area in May, days after the civic body denied that it had any role in the operation.
A departmental inquiry has been initiated based on the findings of an internal inquiry committee which probed the demolition carried out on May 30, the SMC said in a release on Wednesday.
Executive Engineers Sujalkumar Prajapati and Jayang Jivanramjiwala, Deputy Engineer Arpan Parmar, Assistant Engineer Monik Gadhiya and Junior Engineer Nareshkumar Galchar were placed under suspension with immediate effect to ensure that the inquiry is conducted in a neutral and impartial manner, it added.
The civic body, however, did not disclose the findings of the inquiry committee or specify the role allegedly played by the suspended officials in the demolition.
The razing of nearly 80 shanties in Nasirnagar triggered a controversy with the SMC denying any involvement and ordering a probe following media reports.
SMC Standing Committee Chairman Rajan Patel had said preliminary findings suggested that civic officials had gone to the site only for road demarcation.
The Congress alleged that the action was carried out at the behest of the ruling BJP for the benefit of a builder interested in the land. The BJP has not responded to the allegation.
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A resident also moved the Gujarat High Court challenging the demolition, claiming that due process was not followed.
Congress leader and former corporator Aslam Cyclewala had alleged that most of the demolished houses were 40 to 50 years old and the owners had been paying property tax to the SMC.
